Was NA successful in its intial run??

[sportsandstuff777]

Was wondering if NA was popular when it was first released back in 89? I mean I know it wasnt as big as MOTU from 82 to 86, but did it compete well with say TMNT? I remember not liking it when I first saw it but I now enjoy it.

[motu77]

It lasted a few years (89-92) but never matched the TMNT onslaught of the late 80's early 90's. Also Mattel was trying to recapture the magic by changing to a space theme but most of the kid who collected MOTU were now teen/pre teen and had no interest in toys.

I remember by the time my family got back to the U.S. in late 1990 most of the figures were already in the discount aisle. I picked up a few of the figures then but it just wasn't the same as MOTU.

[Nemisythe]

For me personally once the Live Action movie hit, the NA felt like the nail in the coffin for me. As a kid I was kinda upset with the whole Earth thing and did learn to accept it for what it was; but when the New Adventures came out and the radical changes really made me feel the He-Man wasn't so 'powerful' anymore. What made it magic for me was the COMBINATION of Sorcery and Technology, and this Future He-Man went total tech (or at least it seemed remember I gave up after the second ep.) I felt it tried to compete with things like Transformers, GI Joe and MASK.

[vertigoink]

I think another huge problem was that they tried to go the economical route with the toyline and made this new, somewhat "emaciated" He-Man who looked like he needed to spend an Eternian night in the gym- they just all around felt really cheap and small. Kids had already moved on to the Eastern theme of martial arts and ninjas by the time NA was out and Mattel was kidding itself thinking they could go up against that.

[markatisu]

I think another huge problem was that they tried to go the economical route with the toyline and made this new, somewhat "emaciated" He-Man who looked like he needed to spend an Eternian night in the gym- they just all around felt really cheap and small. Kids had already moved on to the Eastern theme of martial arts and ninjas by the time NA was out and Mattel was kidding itself thinking they could go up against that.

Yeah and by the time they corrected it with the fatter more vintage like Thunderpunch He-Man the line was already on its last legs or dead in most stores.

As much as I love the NA toys (and am glad I got in on them in the early 2000's when they cost just a few dollars for MOC) after vintage and classics their size really was one of the missteps

[Heeeere's Olesker!]

Yeah and by the time they corrected it with the fatter more vintage like Thunderpunch He-Man the line was already on its last legs or dead in most stores.

As much as I love the NA toys (and am glad I got in on them in the early 2000's when they cost just a few dollars for MOC) after vintage and classics their size really was one of the missteps

Yeah. I guess size does matter...or at least so I've been gratefully told.

[Alexx]

Man, I wish I could remember what it was like back then! I couldn't pay attention to what did well and what didn't...you know, no internet. So far that I saw, there was a new He-Man out and it involved Skeletor getting fried and having to put himself back together again with cybernetic parts. That was all in the minicomic, and that was all it took for me. I was HOOKED on this when it came out, yet...I just could not catch the toon! I don't know what it was. I'm not sure I have a way of finding out what channel it was on and what timeslot it was given. I watched a ton of toons around that time...why wasn't I able to catch NA He-Man?

And I totally wanted to! I woulda watched it. The toyline took me in hook, line and sinker. I guess I was in a unique position, as I was very young for the vintage line, so I was just the right age for NA He-Man AND I was always into the space theme (and translucent plastic). On top of that, the thinner He-Man resonated with me, 'cause I was a skinny blonde kid and suddenly He-Man was almost a figure I could use as an avatar for myself (you know; if I had muscles).

Kinda sad this was such a crazy change for most folks, 'cause it was the exact kinda change I liked at the time. Also too bad I couldn't never catch the show.

[Night Stalker]

I don't have the exact numbers, but I have to imagine that the line sold pretty terribly. None of the chain toystores around me carried it during its initial production, but by 1990 you could find them at any of the discount stores like Big Lots or Tuesday Morning for next to nothing. I didn't even know the toyline existed until it was pretty much over with.

I didn't catch an episode of New Adventures on television until about '92 because it came on at 5 am, which was an unheard of time for a kid like me to wake up. On top of this, it was syndicated by a local station that was the epitome of lame (think of the Weird Al movie UHF but without any charm) and it was never even listed in TV Guide-- I remember scanning the listings to find out why I never heard of the show, and it was because week after week the 5:00 and 5:30 time slots always read "to be announced." Off subject: If I recall correctly, "Romper Room" came on after He-Man. (I always woke up at 6:00, so I could catch two episodes of GI Joe on the other channel while waiting for the bus.)

Roger Sweet wrote that the line was a big failure. Apparently the full sized electronic sword sold better than all of the figures and vehicles put together.

[Captain Atkin]

The only two figures I ever owned from the line were NA He-Man and Skeletor. I thought they were interesting, but they just were not as cool as the original figures. I think the line would have been much more successful if they had made them the same size as the original figures.

[Firefly]

I'm kind of surprised it got as many waves as it did. I still have the He-Man & Slush Head 2 pack I kept MOC. I didn't buy any other figures.

[iron_pride]

I didn't even know there was a cartoon until the box set release a few years back. ALso, I never knew there were toys until I ran accross on in 1996-97(ish) in the clearance aisle at K-Mart. Maybe it was just I hit the late teens and wasn't paying attention, but I had no idea. Had I known, I would have been all over it back then.

[sportsandstuff777]

I didn't even know there was a cartoon until the box set release a few years back. ALso, I never knew there were toys until I ran accross on in 1996-97(ish) in the clearance aisle at K-Mart. Maybe it was just I hit the late teens and wasn't paying attention, but I had no idea. Had I known, I would have been all over it back then.

I remember seeing carts and carts full of clearance NA MOTU at Toys R Us back in 1992.